Episode 206
Nangjungjichu (囊中之錐) (6)
“This is the Mukryongbu.”
Mukryongbu.
It was an organization with a rather grandiose name: a place where ink-colored dragons nest.
However, in reality, Mukryongbu was a much more magnificent and strange place than the name gave the impression.
‘It’s huge.’
Full-sang looked around and inwardly clicked his tongue.
‘That’s why it wasn’t revealed on the outside.’
Mukryongbu was not a castle built on the ground.
It’s underground. The Mukryongbu existed underground.
The scale of this place, filled with countless cavities, was truly beyond imagination.
The central open space seen as soon as you enter the entrance was as large as a dozen large martial arts training halls combined. And in that wide open space, hundreds of workers were building something while making a clicking noise.
Full-sang raised his head and looked at the ceiling.
His eyes deepened.
‘Nonsense.’
The height to the ceiling alone was well over five feet.
And there were hundreds of night pearls lined up on the high ceiling.
‘Where on earth did you get so much night wine?!’
Even if they were to sell just that night wine, a decent family would be able to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
There are hundreds of such night wines. Moreover, this place was just an empty space at the entrance. I couldn’t even imagine how many nightshades were stuck inside.
Full-sang stuck out his tongue.
‘It’s enormous financial power. Where on earth did Yangcheon secure this much money?’
Just by simple analogy, the financial power of the Mukryongbu seemed to be comparable to any battlefield or upper level in the central plains. Or rather, it may be that we have surpassed it, but we will never fall behind.
‘Yamyeongju is also Yamyeongju, but it is not normal to create such an underground world in the first place.’
At that time, a message came from Zhuge Zhen.
[It’s been a while.]
[Huh?]
[This place wasn’t created recently. No matter how you do it, it will last for over a hundred years. I think it’s about 300 years old, but it’s hard to make an accurate guess just by looking at it.]
[How do you know that?]
[I’m very interested in geology, so I studied a lot of things. Considering the traces and humidity of this place, it is definitely not a place that was created in a short period of time.]
[I see.]
[Besides, look. Living things cannot live in a closed space because air cannot pass through. Yet these many people are working without any inconvenience.]
[Ah!]
[There are many air passages everywhere. And those passages are all connected to the outside. No matter how much information was blocked by Heukdo Murim, we cannot proceed with such a large-scale construction project without our side finding out.]
It was a valid reasoning.
‘In other words, it means that these guys didn’t create this huge underground world intentionally, they just found a place that had already been created and used it.’
Full-sang looked around and sent a message to Yeon-ho-jeong.
[Professor: I think you should be careful. Jegal Soje said that this place was not newly established. If that’s the case, then they must be more prepared…]
[It can’t be a new site.]
[Huh?]
[This place is definitely not a new site.]
Full Sang turned his head and looked at Yeonhojeong.
‘…?’
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face was expressionless.
His face looked unimpressed. However, Full Sang could feel the deep confusion and unknown vagueness in his eyes.
[Yeon Gongja?]
Yeon Ho-jeong had no answer.
Full Sang frowned.
‘Why are you doing that? There’s no way it’s a place I know….’
Cheung-sang’s thoughts were wrong.
Yeonhojeong is a black rock festival.
He, who was a true master of the Four Gods and a master of the Black Path and enjoyed an unrivaled reputation throughout the world, already knew of the existence of this unimaginably wide and gigantic underworld.
‘Blood dragon vein!’
There was turbulence in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.
‘Was it entangled in the blood dragon vein?!’
Mukryongbu. No, blood dragon vein.
There is a strange legend here that an evil dragon defeated by a hermit burrowed into the ground with its blood-soaked body, creating a huge pit.
This place was clearly a blood dragon vein. It couldn’t be the blood dragon vein.
It was a very old memory, but Yeon Ho-jeong remembered this place clearly.
‘The final battle site!’
Yes.
This was the place where Yeon Ho-jeong had a life-or-death battle with Yang Cheon, his greatest enemy before he built Heukje Fortress. In other words, it is a historical place where the king of the dark island is hidden.
At that time, Yeonhojeong was clearly inferior to Yangcheon. Even with Sashinmura’s rare feats and unimaginable combat experience, it was difficult for him to handle Yang Cheon’s absolute martial arts.
So Yeon Ho-jeong took the initiative and called him here.
Blood Dragon Vein A maze of history so wide and deep that you can’t even tell where it ends.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who dragged Yang Cheon into the blood dragon vein, was able to capture Yang Cheon after countless tricks and sneak attacks using geographical features.
Fair competition? None of that meant anything.
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If he had been able to kill Yang Cheon through a sneak attack in the first place, he wouldn’t have even called him Blood Dragon Veil. Yangcheon’s martial arts skills were already at a point where there was nothing they could do even if they sent an assassin, so Yeon Ho-jeong took the initiative himself.
Of course, in order to show the symbolism of the king, he had to end his own life.
‘It hasn’t changed.’
Numerous workers were building huge structures all over the vacant lot.
But I didn’t pay attention to that. Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes were scanning the entire blood dragon vein here.
‘Yes, that was there.’
In the past, before luring Yang Cheon, he investigated various places in the blood dragon vein.
It was so wide and deep that even Yeonhojeong took more than 15 days to memorize the path to this place.
Is that why? I remembered most of the road, except for a few blurry parts.
‘I knew it.’
As Yeon Ho-jeong looked around the blood dragon vein, he felt the changed history with his whole body.
‘It’s changed as expected. At that time, Yangcheon knew of the existence of the blood dragon vein, but he had no intention of establishing a base here.’
The reason was that it was too gloomy and cost a lot of money. Furthermore, he had a desire to show off as much as his enormous ambition.
And at the same time, he had confidence. The confidence that there is no need to hide and gather power.
If it is a power that cannot even announce its existence to the whole world, it is an unwavering will that even if the black sword is united, it will not be able to engage in a fierce battle with the white sword.
‘In this life, you made the blood dragon vein your home.’
Yeonhojeong’s eyes became brighter.
‘What on earth is this? What makes you move so cautiously? Is it simply a change of heart? Or did I experience an incident that I don’t know about in the changed history?’
My thoughts continued to linger.
Whatever it was, the fact that Yangcheon had settled down here in the blood dragon vein was a great surprise and a sad feeling to Yeonhojeong.
Full-sang looked at Paeyul and Dang-sang and Zhuge Zhen-yeon.
They also seemed to feel something when they saw Yeon Ho-jeong’s expression. The eyes that kept glancing at him were full of puzzlement.
At that time, Cheongho opened his mouth.
“The Vice Lord wants to see you right away.”
A look of tension appeared on Zhuge Zhen’s face.
She sent a message to each of them.
[Do you have the silver altar I gave you yesterday? Everyone, swallow that.]
Yeon Ho-jeong said.
“I will go as the representative.”
The group looked at Yeon Ho-jeong, startled by the unexpected remark.
Cheongho dismissed it in an insensitive voice.
“The Vice Lord wants to see you all. According to the Vice Lord’s orders…”
“Speak clearly. We have come to meet the man you call Vice Lord and decide whether we can join hands with him or take him under his command. “I’m not yet his subordinate or anything.”
“….”
“Is it difficult to understand? If so, let me tell you clearly. “We have no reason to listen to your orders or requests.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face was just as cold as Cheong-ho’s.
“If you brought me here as a guest, treat me accordingly. “It won’t be good for you if you make us feel bad with useless tricks.”
“Find common sense outside. The Vice Lord’s orders are absolute. “If you do not receive orders, I will kill you right here…”
“I will kill you first.”
A subtle murderous intent appeared in Cheongho’s eyes.
In the meantime, I control my life. It was amazing patience.
Yeon Ho-jeong continued.
“If you talk bullshit one more time, I will kill you first and go to the person you call old man to have a hard time. Do you understand?”
“…this guy.”
“We have already entered the Mukryongbu. Even if you wanted to go out, it would be difficult to do so on your own, right?”
“….”
“Haven’t we already shown enough sincerity with that? “I don’t know why you’re so scared that you live and die by a single command, but you should know that your common sense and our common sense are different.”
“Do you really want to die?”
“If we die, won’t you be in trouble too? “He’s a talented person, but he’s killing me just because of one request from a customer, so he’s making a fuss and throwing away a great opportunity.”
“….”
“Instead of trying to control new recruits with ridiculous logic, if you are a limb, you should be able to understand the owner’s feelings and move like a limb.”
Cheongho’s cheeks began to tremble slightly.
Move while considering the owner’s feelings? This was not something he would hear from someone who was famous for being the most thorough in following orders among Yang Cheon’s subordinates.
“That won’t work.”
Pusss.
Suddenly, vital energy flowed out of Cheongho’s body.
“You crossed the line. They are not worth facing the Vice Lord. “I will kill you right here.”
“Isn’t your old man someone who likes to cross the line?”
Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.
It was a clear provocation.
“Anyway, you said it was up to the Vice Lord to judge, but now why are you judging us? “I guess you forgot the old man’s orders?”
“This guy…!”
It was then.
“Cheongho.”
For a moment, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes lit up.
That wasn’t all. Paeyul, Gaeun-sang, Dang Sang-ah, and Jegal Zhen-yeon were also startled by the echo-filled voice that came out of nowhere.
“Take the other four to your living quarters. And I will only take that young man to the vice-lord.”
Cheongho gritted his teeth.
“But…”
“When did you learn how to think?”
In an instant, Cheongho’s complexion turned pale.
Seeing that scene, Cheungsang’s eyes deepened.
‘Are you scared?’
Yes. Although he quickly returned to his characteristic expressionless expression, Cheongho was clearly feeling fear.
Cheongho turned to the left.
“Four men, follow me.”
Yeon Ho-jeong said while looking at the four people.
“I’ll be back.”
The four people who were talking to him flinched at the same time. Yeon Ho-jeong’s tone of voice has changed.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled and raised his index finger.
‘To one world.’
It’s a change of plan.
In fact, when I entered the Mukryongbu or met Yangcheon, I was worried about how I would respond if I was discovered disguising myself as a member of the sect’s death penalty group.
Several agenda items were presented, and a total of three plans were drawn up.
The signal sent by Yeon Ho-jeong meant that the first plan was to change the relationship.
So what is the key to that first plan?
‘Collapse of existing relations and attack on Yangcheon.’
Full-sang smiled meaningfully.
“Have a nice trip.”
Cheongho paused.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s tone and Cheung Sang-sang’s tone also changed.
I felt a strong sense of discomfort.
“You guys…?”
Yeon Ho-jeong waved his hand.
“What are you doing? Quickly take them there. Everyone said they were tired from the journey.”
Cheong-ho, who had been standing still and glaring at Yeon-ho-jeong, walked away with great strides. And then four people followed.
Zhuge Yan glanced at Yeon Ho-jeong again and again.
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded silently. Zhuge Zhenyan sighed softly and turned his head.
An old man with a bent back suddenly appeared in front of Yeonhojeong, who was now alone. It was the owner of the voice that had warned Cheongho a little while ago.
“egg plant.”
Yeon Ho-jeong took a deep breath.
“let’s go.”
The most difficult enemy to deal with in the dark martial arts world.
Finally, we meet Tuwang Yangcheon.
